Lab Members

Peng Yao, Ph.D.

Principle Investigator, Associate Professor 

Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI), Department of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester
 School of Medicine and Dentistry

Member of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology PhD Program, Cell Biology of Disease PhD Program, Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology PhD Program, and T32 NIH Training Grant in Cellular, Biochemical & Molecular Sciences, URMC

Member of Center for RNA Biology, URMC

Member of Center for Biomedical Informatics, URMC

Debojyoti Das, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate (8/2023-present)

Research Interest: Investigate the interplay of translational control and RNA metabolism in cardiovascular disease and explore the mechanism of translational regulation in ECM remodeling

Uday Baliga, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate (4/2024-present)

Research Interest: Investigate translational control and mitochondria metabolism in cardiovascular disease and explore RNA metabolism in cardiac cells

Lindsey Wainwright, Ph.D. candidate (2nd year)

Graduate Student (URMC BMB Program, 3/2023-present)

Research Interest: Development of novel RNA delivery methods

Jack Lawrence Schwarts, Ph.D. candidate (1st year)

Graduate Student (URMC BMB Program, 5/2024-present; lab rotation during 1/2024-3/2024)

Research Interest: RNA secondary structure and uORF-mediated translational control

Yui Kawakami (B.S.): Lab Technician (4/2024-present)

Undergraduate Student (UR Biochemistry, 9/2020-5/2024)

Research Interest: Animal genetics and cardiovascular disease; Neuron biology and brain diseases

Jiali He (M.S.): Research Specialist (6/2024-present)

MS Student (UofS Neuron Science, 10/2020-5/2024)

Research Interest: Animal genetics and cardiovascular disease; Neuron biology and brain diseases

Jiangbin Wu (Ph.D.): Research Assistant Professor (9/2020-6/2023); Postdoctoral Associate (9/2016-9/2020)

Research Interest: Determine the Function of Mitochondrial Translation Regulatory Factor and Integrated Stress Response in Dilated Cardiomyopathy; Study the Function and Mechanism of EPRS in Cardiac Fibrosis 

Jiangbin has established his independent laboratory as a professor at Cardio. Disease Research Institute at Soochow University. He is currently studying protein homeostasis in cardiac disease.

Kadiam Venkata Chinna (Ph.D.): Postdoctoral Associate (11/2016-11/2020); Staff Scientist (11/2020-6/2022)

Research Interest: Understand the Function of  MicroRNA and Translation Elongation Factor in Cardiac Fibrosis

Venkata Chinna is currently working at the Scriptr Global start-up company as a research scientist on the development of novel RNA technology and therapeutics.

Eng Soon Khor, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate (12/2019-9/2023)

Research Interest: Study the Function of  Translation Initiation Factor in Cardiac Myocyte and Fibroblast in Heart Disease

Eng Soon is opening his independent laboratory at a Malaysia university. 

Madhuparna Pandit, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate (7/2023-12/2023)

Research Interest: Understand the Function of  mRNA processing during translational control of cardiac physiopathology

Pandit moved on to a cancer biology lab to pursue her goal of joining the industry in the near future.

Feng Jiang, Ph.D. 

Graduate Student (BMB Program, 4/2018-1/2024)

Research Interest: Cracking the Function of Translation Regulatory Factors at Initiation Step during Cell Cycle Progression and Heart Development

Feng is working as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Billy Jin Li's lab at Stanford University, studying ADAR-mediated RNA editing in auto-immune diseases, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders.

Omar Hedaya, Ph.D.

Graduate Student (BMB Program, 6/2018-11/2023)

Research Interest: The Role of RNA Helicase and 5'uORF in the Translation of Cardiomyocyte Transcription Factors

Omar is working as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Kevin Weeks's lab at University of North Carolina, developing novel chemical compound for labeling RNA structural elements for establishing new RNA-probing biotechnology and RNA therapeutics.

Jared Hollinger: B.S. 

Lab Manager/Technician III (5/2021-4/2024) 

Research Interest: Protein expression, purification, biochemical characterization, and translational regulation of gene expression in cancer biology. 

Jared received offers from OSU and SUNY Upstate graduate school Ph.D. programs and will start his Ph.D. thesis research at OSU after the summer of 2024.

Matthew Auguste, B.S.

Undergraduate Student (UofR), Intern Student (9/2020-4/2023) 

Research Assistant/Lab technician (7/2023-4/2024)

Research Interest: Molecular cloning for RNA-binding protein domain mapping; Animal genetics for the cardiovascular system

Matt moved to the clinical department, working with pediatrics cardiologists for patient care for kids with congenital heart disease.

Virginia Aswad, B.S.

Undergraduate Student (RIT, 9/2020-5/2021), Lab Technician

Research Interest: RNA synthesis and manufacturing for agriculture and human patient care. She is currently working as a research technologist at GreenLight Biosciences company.

Jordan Rhen: Joint Lab Technician with Dr. Jinjiang Pang's lab

Jordan Rhen is currently working as lab manager in Cornell University.

Emily Bonanno, B.S. candidate

Undergraduate Student (UofR), Intern Student (9/2022-11/2023)

Research Interest: Biochemical characterizations of RNA and RNA-binding properties of translation factors

Emily is applying for MD program and aims at becoming a physician scientist.

Jordan Pappas: Undergraduate Student for Summer Internship (UofR, 7/2018-9/2018) 

Current: M.S., Graduate Student (Data Science, Business and Social Sciences, 08/2020-present)

Research Interest: Application of machine learning and deep learning models to U.S. hydraulic fracking industry trends and opioid involvement in unclassified drug overdoses.